DAY 793 - troll hunting in Norway & Spring is in the air England

Unfortunately, or fortunately, no trolls where to be seen, except in the mirror first thing in the morning.

Norway has always been on our bucket list and with our European trip drawing to a close later in the year and with summer fast approaching, the only way we where going to "squeeze" Norway in was on a cruise.

With a career in the travel industry, I always have one eye on the lookout for a travel bargain and Norway Fjord cruises popular right now, so when the right deal for the right date came along, we jumped on it.  A 7 day vacation from "wher'dmadaygo" was had and we boarded the P&O ship Ventura for a lightening visit to Norway to check out the beautiful Fjords.

A bonus for us is that Nicky, Tony and their little one Jacob also did the cruise and we miss them already.  We BOTH affectionately became know as "Wwose" to the wee little one and we miss hearing that quite little voice calling out our name at brecky as we crossed the dining room floor to our table.

Norway was really stunning and it would be the perfect road trip country.  A photo op around every corner, hardly any traffic (compared to rest of EU), the stunning Fjords plus wild camping opportunities abundant....aahhhh we would have LOVED it.....maybe another time.

Bergen

payment options

the cheapest take away in Norway

Our first port of call was Bergen, where we took the funicular up to the view point.  Its a wonderful view point with 360degres views over the city, across the Fjord and beyond.  I'd read through previous reviews that its a nice spot to enjoy a picinc lunch, so I took advantage of the Free 24hr room service on board the ship and ordered for all 5 of us.  Just as well I did as we quickly discovered that fish and chips where €20 per person for a single serve from the takeaway van.  Payment accepted in the form of credit card, gold, diamonds - I kid you not if you stayed in this country for too long and ate every meal out, you'd probably need to sell your first born to fund your trip.

Next stop was Olden.  This was the most beautiful of all locations and the type of place & scenery that Norway is famous for.  As we pulled into port around 6am, Paul woke me up so I wouldn't miss the view.  Quite literally lost for words, and no coffee intake yet, all I could get out was "oh iz bewaful".

Olden

Briksdal Glacier

Olden has 2 glaciers which are quite accessible and after a bit of research we chose to check out Briksdal Glacier.  After taking the cheats way up the mountain in Bergen with the funicular we opted to hike up the valley.  They had these funny little dune buggy things called Troll Cars which would take you most of the way, but we are young and fit'ish so the hike was fine.  We passed some beautiful waterfalls and Paulie jumped the fence to fetch some of the fresh water coming from the Glacier stream, it's unreal the think we where drinking water that probably fell as snow thousands of years ago.

We had 1 day of bad weather and that was when we where in the port of Molde.  If you had to chose a port for bad weather then Molde would be it.  Molde was heavily bombed in the 2nd world war, so most of the city was rebuilt and therefore lacks that, Norwegian charm that most of the other destinations had.  Molde was also the city of Roses, so we went for a quick walk in the drizzling rain, didn't see any Roses, but did get a few good pics of the boat from shore.

Molde

Stavanger Old Town

Stavanger was our last port of call.  The sun was shinning again and they have a beautiful old town, which is located right near the cruise dock.  It's funny to walk around such towns and see the dates on the houses.  1689, 1749, etc etc.  Crikey, Australia wasn't even discovered yet!!!  

Pulpit Rock

We also did a lovely boat cruise along the Lysle Fjord, to check out Pulpit Rock.  We would have all dearly loved to climb up Pulpit Rock, as it's meant to be on of the Norwegian top 10 things to do, but you need 8hrs to do the trip and we just wouldn't have made it back to the boat in time for departure, so the cruise was our best option to see it.  The Fjords are really quite amazing, as they where all carved out by glacier activity during the ice age.  Most fjords are deeper than the adjacent sea, reaching as much as 1,300m below sea level.  They are deeper inland then get shallower where they meet the ocean as this is where the bedrock collects as it pushes down the valley by the glacier causing  the water at the neck of the fjord to be shallower than the main body of the fjord behind it.  It really is quite amazing.

The weather was pretty good and I'll let me pics do some more talking about Norway.  Def worth a visit and can recommend doing it via a cruise.  However, I would probably choose a better cruise company next time and look for an itinerary that was longer and went higher into the Arctic circle as the scenery just gets better and better the higher you go.

Lysle Fjord

Olden

When we arrived in the UK, Spring was in the air with amazing, beautiful sunny warm days, spring time flowers everywhere, it really was beautiful and England is unbeatable in spring.   So we decided to have a few day trips out, checking out the coast and enjoying the sun for the first time since Thailand.  We discovered so many places we'd never seen before and really enjoyed our time in England once more.  Beachy Head near Eastborne, with it's huge white cliffs, dodged the small horses in New Forrest & checked out the trout swimming in the River in Winchester, the home of Jane Austin.

Beachy Head - Eastborne

Both vehicles have to get a MOT every year, for those of you who live or have lived in England, you know what that is, for all you others, it's a mandatory roadworthy test that is required to be legal on the road and also required for insurance and hence why we keep doing loops around EU back to UK every 12 months.


First up for MOT was the car, however we did have the small problem of a dysfunctional horn, so thought we best fix that as it would fail MoT if it decided not to work at that time.  After a few futile hours trying to locate it and rewire it, the time came to putting back the fuses in their relative places with the required size and number.  This is where my dyslexia stepped in and where everything went down hill.  We had 1 fuse left spare and all numbers accounted for.  Oh ohhhh.  after much confusion I'd (Rose) written down number 24 twice!  whoops....and after a few more wasted hours and some head scratching it worked out that in fact we required a fuse in position  24 and 42 - whoopzie.

Long story short, it then wouldn't start but the horn was working, after a few more hours we concluded that it's best to call RAC.  They plugged it into their computer which advised we needed to replace the fuel pump relay......and RAC don't stock relay's, so it had to be towed to a dealer.  As our friend Jason put it perfectly..."it's like the horn bone is connected to the fuel pump bone, or  however the song goes".

So after 4 days with no car & £300, we have a working horn (god only knows how) and a new fuel pump relay and she's back running like a dream and passed MoT with flying colors.

Next for a test is "wher'dmadaygo".  First 2 locations with took it too, she wouldn't fit on the ramps.  We eventually found another garage in Southampton and after fitting a new muffler another £400 later, we are ready to hit the road again.

So here we go again......round 3, this time we are heading South, South and even further south.  We need to work on our tans so we'll chase the cheap sun, cheap wine and free wild camping opportunities in Spain & Portugal until we return home.  We also have my eldest brother joining us for a week in the Basque Country, which we are super excited about.  Can't wait for that, hopefully we have some good weather.

Watch out Portugal, here we come!!!!!    Yay & bring on summer!!!!

DAY 771 - Deutsch to Dutch via the vikings + Beer

Bastei Bridge, near Dresden, Germany

Austria seems like ages ago.  In fact like a whole other holiday time ago!  We hit the road again late March, so only just over 5 weeks ago, but already skiing and the Alps is starting to feel feel like a distant memory.

Our head is spinning a bit with just how much we have seen and done over the past 5 weeks.  From Österreich, through Deutschland, into Tasmania (aka Denmark), over to Sverige (Sweden), back to Denmark, back via Germany to Ned Flanders (aka The Netherlands) & into Belgium.  Europe rewarded with a dirty stinking flu and throw us back into winter with snow, snow & more snow.  We love the snow, but when there is no mountains to ski....whats the point???

Berlin is a moving experience and also a highlight for us.  I still don't understand "The Berlin Wall" and why a political movement would think that making its residents prisoners in their own back yard would stop them defecting to the other parties and keep them loyal, but alas they are humans and some humans do some very inhuman things.  The original sections of the wall that still stand are amazing to see along with the 'death strip' still in tack in some areas, however these days it is filled with bars and cafe's.  The famous artwork which now adorns sections of the wall is very inspirational and a symbol of freedom.  Some of the work is amazing and you could spend all day filling up an entire memory card on your camera checking them out.  

Berlin Wall

The Bandenburg Gate in Berlin is another fantastic landmark.  It's a national symbol of the country and also a symbol for the division of Berlin and Germany.  The Gate stood between East and West Germany, becoming part of the impenetrable Berlin Wall and also where Ronald Reagan made that famous speach:  
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

If you've never been to Berlin, make sure its on your list.

Brandenburg Gate

Hitler was a truly evil man & seeing such places like the Reichsparteitagsgelände   (Nazi party rally grounds) in Nuremberg & the Congress Hall, which he was building to look like the Colosseum for his conventions, I found interesting and shocking at the same time.  However, this is history and I think what makes it even more interesting is that this period of history happened not that long ago so it seems so more real/raw as it's fresh in our minds.  Lets just hope that lesson's have been learnt & history doesn't repeat itself!  What I really love about Germany is that they have risen above all this and it no way reflects what Germany and Germans are about.

Nazi National Party Rally Grounds, Germany

Dresden, Bastei Bridge in Saxon Switzerland National Park, Neuschwanstein Castle are the other highlights.  Germany is really interesting, however due to our flu we probably didn't really do it justice and warrants a return visit especially to visit the Rhine and Mosel.  

Neuschwanstein, Germany

We popped in to say hi to Mary and her vikings, but she didn't invite us for cuppa & Denmark didn't have much that captivated us, so we moved onto the land of more vikings, ABBA, Volvo and IKEA pretty quickly.  We did however get up to Skagen, to see the natural phenomenon where the Baltic and North sea meet but don't mix.  This was on our way back from Sweden & you can clearly see the 2 seas overlapping which was pretty cool.  But apart from that, we have no desire to return to Denmark - sorry Mary.

Baltic meets North, Skagen, Denmark

Sweden was great and the Gothenburg archipelago is absolutely beautiful.  Its well worth spending some time here, checking out the beautiful little hamlets and coves.  It reminded us so much of Greece with its rocky outcrops, wonderful wild camping opportunities but just no olive trees and a lot, LOT colder.   

Sweden

Yes, its true, there are Volvo's everywhere!  I was hoping we'd get stuck behind at least 1 old codger, with a hat of the back shelf, just for the cliche photo but alas they where all young'ns, travelling fast and not a hat in sight.  Perhaps this only happens in Australia???

When we first arrived in Sweden, I immediately said, that this is what I imagine the North East Coastal areas of USA/Canada would be like.  The painted wooden houses, white picket fences, perfectly manicured lawns, every window with a flower vase or lamp being used to capture & maximize their wonderful view.  We met a lovely Swedish couple who told us that in fact many Swed's settled in that area of North America so that is the reason why it looks similar.

Holland

We often hear, that if you heading out on a big European adventure then its best to visit Holland (The Netherhlands) at the beginning of your trip, otherwise you might find it boring and a bit of an uninspiring road trip.  Not true for us!  Sure, if your after high mountains, deep lakes and beautiful beaches, then Holland is not the place, but from our point of view Hollands gems are its villages, canals, waterways coupled with the outdoorsy lifestyle they live makes it an unbeatable place.

I (Rose) had a mini melt down when we hit the city of Groningen in peak hour.  By the term peak hour, i mean that being "bicycle peak hour" traffic at 5pm.  Actually a full dummy spit is probably a better way to describe it.  It was a ripper & I'm surprised I didn't come out covered in stress hives afterwards.  I just wasn't ready for the onslaught of all those bikes.  Who gives way?  When?  oh no, now a pedestrian! Is someone honking me?  What the hell does that sign mean?  Am I going the wrong way up a one-way street?  why is everyone waiving their arms & swearing at me?  Did I run someone over?    Its like being outside by fresh water on dusk, the mozzies are swarming and after your blood.

I could live in Holland, (if it wasn't for the weather).  The people are super friendly, very out doorsy and the towns and villages are really beautiful.   Haarlem in particular, just west of Amsterdam is beautiful and would be my pick!  but we don't have a cool 2million euro to buy an estate there.  We were really surprised by the huge, should i shout "HUGE" mansions and estates there where in Holland.  Mansions that could rival any rich English family estate.  There's certainly plenty of people with plenty of money in Holland that's for sure.

The bulbs where out in full bloom and the famous Keukenhof Gardens where open.  People have come from all over the world to see it but at nearly 35euro for both of us to go in and pay for parking, we didn't feel that desperate to see it.  Much to Paul's delight I dragged him on a day trip along the bulb route instead, it is truly beautiful, really colorful and can highly recommend it.

Next stop, home of Beer and Chocolates, Belgium   We spent our time in the Flemish speaking province of West Flanders and couldn't understand a word they are saying.  Thank goodness the Belgium's speak excellent English when asked.

Tyne Cott Cemetry, Anzac Day

We arrived just in time for Anzac day, not that we planned it that way.  Aussies and Kiwi's everywhere, which was nice.  Belgium drivers are CRAZY, in fact really bad.  We hadn't realized how spoilt we've been over the past 6 months with the well mannered and respectful drivers of Austria, Germany, Holland & Sweden.  Being that Belgium is so close to France and the French are pretty bad, then it kinda makes sense.  Arrogant drivers, rude words, one finger salutes, horn honking, cutting off, not letting in.......actually come to think of it sounds like Adelaide drivers.

Heart wrenching - I would feel the same if I lost my partner.  There are no winners in war.
Tyne Cott Cemetry, Zonnebekke, Belgium. 

The motorways are covered in endless roadworks at the moment and just about every town we went into was closed due and their main road in being ripped up and a pile of rubble.  Diversions signs everywhere like their going out of fashion but i'm sure its a trap to keep you out of these pretty towns or keep you trapped in, either way they had us going around in circles.

Ieper/Ypres, Belgium

Brugge

The landscape is much like their neighbour Ned Flanders.  Flat, dry and farmed, with beautiful towns and villages.  Brugge of cause was pretty and a must see for us because of the movie 'In Bruges', but Ieper (Ypres) in particular I really enjoyed.  This was where one of the Anzac days services was held, under the Menin Gate (memorial for the missing) and it was very moving.  I also joined the service at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Zonnebeke and found a "Gollan" on the wall for the Scottish Borderers, so i'll try to look him up and see if we are related.  

 So back to UK it is for us now.....MOT is due on both vehicles.  Paulie is all set with his new 7mm wetsuit for some spearfishing along the coast in the South West England (it's meant to be good for spearfishing) and some family love with Nicky, Tony and Jacob.  And the extra treat for us is that we are all going on a Norway Fjord cruse at the end of the month!....YAY - Bring it on!!!!! oh and bring on summer!!